Bottle-conveying machine



Oct. 7, 1930. N. F. sAvlANo BOTTLE CONVEYING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 19. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1` INVENTQR H /S ATTORNEYS Oct. 7,;1;930. N. F. sAvlANo I 1,777,654

BOTTLE CONVEYING MACHINE v Original Filed Oct. 19, 1926 3 Sheets--Sheet .f2`

.301/ /97 H32 EF :l 0f /92 /f/s ATTORNEYS NICOLA-F. SAVANO, OF VIB`.ROOK1'.1Y1\`I',NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES C. ORCUTTQOF iloundheconomical and otherwisedesirable to `mum amount of manual attention.

f Figure 1 is a planview, partly Patented oct'. 7, 1930 PATENT OFFICE- nnwYonx, N. Y.

origini appncationfnied october 419, 1926, serial No.` y .p 1928.` Serial` This invention relates to a bottle filling concerns i apparatus for `automatically p conveying bottles, vials or other contamersto a mechamsmfor iillingand closing suchcon- 'tainers y, n n n. y In the packing of large` quantities of small articles, such as medical pills Vor pellets in employ` automatic packing machinery. "Itis essential that machinery of this ltype be arranged to perform' the packing operations continuously Aand rapidly, and that the mag chine'lhe 'capable of operating with `a mini- With the above and other` considerations in mind, it is proposed in accordance with the present invention to'provide bottle conveying apparatus for automatically and continuously delivering empty bottlesQvials or other containers to a bottley filling device.`

Various other specic objects, advantages and characteristic ieaturesoi".1 the present invention will become apparent as the description thereof progresses.` f y rilhis application is awdivision of my cpendingapplication, Serial No.1l2`,537 filed October 19,1926, Patent No. 1,710,074,1n which the `bottle filling mechanism is described and claimed. VIn another divisional application, Serial No..292,260, filed July12, 1928. I have claimed a bottle corling mechanism, and in Still another divisional application, `Serial No. 292,259, iled July 12, 1928, Ihave claimedthe bottle feeding mechanism which removes the empty bottles from their packing containers and delivers them to the bottleconveying means of the present invention. r'

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be made `to the accompanying drawings, in which; d, f f

in section,

of the bottle feeding, filling `and corking mechanisms; l i i Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view ofV a Vportion of the bottle feeding guide plate;

Fig. 3 is a sectional `viewtalzen along the 142,537. :niided and No. 292,258.

`line" 3-3 of Fig. 1 viewed in thedirection of the arrows;

` Fig. l is a sectional view taken alongthe line H of Fig.l 4land viewed in the direc-` tion of the arrows; Y 1 .1

Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of the bottleieede 'ing mechanism; ,n

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the bottle. ieedingrnechanism; l 1 i ""1 Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view-,of a `portion of the bottlefeeding mechanism; .1

FiggS is an enlarged sectional view ofa this alipncatioa and Juiy 12,

portionof the bottle 'feedingldrum and cer- A tain associative mechanismsn n Y Fig. 9`1s"ase`et1on ofa portlon-ofthebot- Fig,` 8 andviewed' in the direction of-thearrows; r

Fig. 10 drum taken along the line `10-10 of FigrS and viewed in thedirection of the arrows; and

"les ftlefeeding drum taken alongthe line SIT-901 is aisectionfof the bottle feeding Figmll is aside view ofthe bottle; catchh n ing compartmenn certain;V lportions being brol'en away to show the interiorconstrnction thereof. y A i n .Referringtothe drawingaand more par.- ticularly toFig. 1, the `bottle filling mechanism in connection with which the conveying apparatus ofthe present invention has been shownmcomprises generally a. rotary bottle `filling Vdrum BF carried oniashaft 3` and having plurality of bottle carrying notches in the peripheral surface thereof. The

bottle lilling mechanism forms no part of the present yinvention and will not be described `in detail herein, but it should beA understood that the drumBF rotates continuously in the `direction ofthe arrows-and carries therewith aplurality offbottlesin the notches 15, these bottles. being filled duringthe rotation ot the drumv andbeing transferred to the y corking `mechanism l `at the ,point T. f. ,A stationary shelf S surrounds the drum BF, this shelf comprising ahori'zontal portion 22 and a vertical portion 23 for supportingand guiding the bottles as they4 pass aroundfthe drum. f -v 7 Themcans for conveying the empty bottles to Ithe bottle filling drum include a bottle feed'ngrnechanism" and a bottle conv,form 1, the upper surface of the-feeding platform being on a level with the horizontal portion22 of the bottle feeding supporting shelf S on the bottle feeding drum BF. A pair of parallel upwardly extending brackets 131 and 132 are secured in'sp'acedrelation'to the upper surface of the feeding platform 129 near its `outer end as shown in Fig. 6, these` brackets having angular offset `portions 133 and 134 respectively. A bottle delivery chute 135 is secured between the offset lportions 133 and '134' of the'brackets 131 and 132, this chute` being preferably formed of sheet metal and being disposed kat an -angle of approximately 45 degrees to the horizontal platform 129. The upper portion 136 of the chute 135 is hinged at 137l to swing downwardly tothe position shown in broken lines in Fig. :57 the springs r138 being provided to normally maintain this portion`136 inalignment with the xed DOtion 135'of t he chute.

A bottle feeding drum FDis carried in a horizontal position on .a shaft 139,v which shaftV is journaled in the brackets 131 and 132 and is driven through a worm wheel 140 as hereinafter described. The drum FD is provided on its outer surface with a plurality of parallel peripherally disposed ridges or extensions 141 as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. The Vridges 141 are cut away to form transverse rows of substantially semi-circular depressions 142 at points equally spaced about the periphery of the drum FD. The depressions 142 are `somewhat longer than the length of the bottles to be filled, and vare formed to present ybottle retaining abutments or stops 143 and 144 at the opposite ends .thereof as shown in Fig. 8. A pair of rollers 145 are loosely carried in the slots-146 formed in Vextensions of the brackets 131 and 132, these rollers serving to retain the bottles in thedepressions 142 of the drum FD as they are carried away from the delivery chute 135. A tapered metal strip v147 restsonithe ends of the bottles at the lower end-ofthe delivery chute, and maintains them inV alignment -as they are picked off by the drum.

An angle frame 148 islsec'ured tothe feeding platform 12.9 adjacent to theV drumFD, which frame carries ,alixed bottle delivery compartment 149 having a vertical lopening therethrough and extending across the face of the drum as shown in/Figs. 5 and 6. A movable 'bottle catching compartment 150 Y is pivotally supported at its ends. on; the

delivery compartment 149 and is arranged to swing from a position fin which its upper edge bears on the face of the drum FD as shown in Fig. 5, to a position in which its central opening is in vertical alignment with the central opening through the compartment 149, as

shown in Fig. 7. The bottle catching comapartment. 150, shown in detail in Figs. 7 and 11, comprises an outer wall 151 of appreciably greater height than that of the bottles,

and an inner wallf152 .having 'a row of upwardly extending finge-rs 153 on the upper edge thereof. The inner faces of the walls 151V and`152fare provided with oppositely disposed aligned grooves 127 which are shaped to "'conform'withthe outer walls of the bottles, these aligned grooves being arranged in alignment with the depressions 142 on thesurface of the drum FD. The fingers ,153 are spaced to rest in the grooves 154 between the ridges 141 on the drum FD when fthe compartment'150fis in the position shown vdrum FDl when the compartment is inclined againstr the drum as shown in` Fig. 5.

The opening at the lower end of the delivery compartment 149 iscontrolled by a gate 156, pivoted at the opposite ends of this compartment and adapted to be swung outwardly as shown in Fig. 5.

LDirectly below the opening in the compartment .149 is disposed-a plate 157 extending across the face of the drum FD and having an offset extension or groove 158 thereon. Opposite and parallel to `this plate 157 is a sheet metal shield 159, secured to the angle bracket 148 in any suitable manner, `and having anfinturned lower lip or shelf portion 160, disposed directly opposite the groove 158 I,in the plate 157. The groove 158 and the lip 160 are; normally disposed a distance -apartequal to the diameter of the bottles -to be filled, so that when the bottles fare dropped :from the compartment `149 'b-y the gate 156 they will drop to a. posit-ion in which their bases rest between the Agroove 158 and the lip 160 as clearly shown in Fig. 7. The shield 159 is spaced a short distanceaway from the lface of the angle bracket 148 for a; purpose which will hereinafter appear.v

The movements vof the bottle catching compartment 150 and of the gate 156 are controlled respectively by twocams y161 and 162 fixed to the shaft139 androtating with the drum FD. The cam 161 is substantially star shaped,'and engages aroller 163 carried by one arm of a bell crank lever 1164, the other arm of which engages the inner wall 152 of e the movablev compartmentf150, the bell crank lever 164 being pivotally mounted on an extension of vthe bracket 132 -in Aany suitable manner. Thecompartment 150 is biased toward `its angular or tilted 'position by mea-ns yAll() 5.v Thecam-162 is provided with a notched cam surface which engages a roller 167 on one end of a lever 168, the vother end-of which engages the headof a plunger 169, the lever` 168 being pivotaliy mounted on the bracket 166..The plunger 169 is slidably mounted in the bracket166 and its outer.V end bea-rs against a` lug extending from one` end of the gate 156. The lev'er168 is biased by the. spring 170` to a. position .in which it-s `roller 167 engagesA the surface ofthe cam 162, and the plunger 169 is biased byl a springf171 to a position in which its head is in constant engagement withthe lower end of the leverI `168, the spring-17 0 being stronger-than `the Spring i i Y 1 I .i Y

The plate 157 is pivotally connected to an extension 17 2of the `platform1'29 by a shaft 178, and carries two sprocket` wheels174and 175, the wheel 174 being fixed to the `shaft 178 and the wheel 175 being rotatably mounted on astub shaft 176. rlhe shaft l17 6 extends through a curved slot 177 Yin afiXed support 178. Auendless feed ,chain 179 Aengages the sprocket wheels 174and `175 andthe wheels and Vchain are driven` inthe direction indi` cated by the arrow through the shaft 178`in a manner which will be hereinafter described. Ahandle 180 is preferably secured to the outer end of the plate 157 and this plate isy held in the position shown by a spring catch 181 which maybe released topermit the plate 157` to be swung outwardlyV away from lthe shelf 159 to release the bottleswhich may be held between these two members and in order to" permit `the cleaning,v repair` or adjustment of certain parts ofthe mechanism.

The chain 179 carries a plurality ofy extenn sions 182,1 spaced along the chain a dista-nce greater than the width of the bottle feeding drum FD. u f

Parallel with the angle frame `148 anden. tending from the sprocket wheel 174 to a point adjacent the filling drum BF, is a guide plate 1881 having an outwardlyV extending fla-nge 184 at its upper edge.v The plate 188 is supported by rods 185, rigidly secured thereu to `and slidably engaging the brackets 186 which are suitably .securedtothe platform" 129as` shown infFig. Coil springs 187 are provided onithe rods 185t`o force the' plate 188 toward the angular bracket 148, the movement ofthe plate '188 being'adjustably limitedby means of the nuts 188, Vscrew threaded on the rods 185, `and the 'tension of .the springs 187 being' adjustable by j means; of the bushings 189 having a screw threaded en! gagem'ent with'the brackets 186. The interior face vofthe plate 188 is provided with'a pluralityzvof wide-spring :fingers 190, suitably secured thereto and inclined toward the angle l bracket 148 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Two

additional spring-ffingersfllland 192, are

secured to the upperfiange 184 off the pla-fe 188 at the opposite ends thereof, these fingers extending away from the plate to guide the bottles as they come in to and out of gagement therewith. `An`extensio1r198 ,1s

pivotally rmounted on the' plateV 188 at the end thereof adjacent the filling drum BF, this extension being pressed toward the angle bracket 148 by means of anadjustable spring 194 carried by'a bracket 195 as shown in Fig.

4.. ,A guide-member 196 is secured to the outerV edge of the` platform 129 beneath the exten-` sion198 and beyond the endof the plate 188 as clearlyshown in Figs. r6`and 4. An upper guide strip197 ispivotally secured to thetop of the angle bracket 148 and is held in the position shown against `suitable stops by means of coiled springs 198. The under` surface of the strip 197 is cut away near its end at 199 and 200 asis clearly shown in FigaA 6, and a handle 201 is provided near the cene ter of thisstrip ino-rder that the strip may be swung backto give access to the spac'ebetween the guide plate 188 and` the angle bracket 148. i y v Anendless belt 202 passes along the inner, surface of the angle bracket 148 passing between the shield 159 and the angle bracket beneath the drum `F D as shown. in-Fig.` 7; The belt 202 is carried vby a pair ofl aligned pulleys 208 yand 204, rotatablycarried on stub shafts at opposite .ends ofthe .platform `129,`- the beltV being drivenv by a pulley 205, and being held in contact therewith by; two idler pulleys 206 and'207. The belt'202 is driven in the direction of the arrow by thedrive pul-` ley 205 and the proper tension ismaintained thereon by the adjustable block 208` carrying the pulley 204, the adjustment being Vmade by the hand nut 209fengaging a threaded rod 210 secured to. the: block 208 asshown in An extension' of. the vertical jiiortionj2) of the shelf S around theffilling drum ABF eX- tends away rromthe drum ina directiontan gent to the belt 202 where it engages the pul- Y ley 208, this extension `forming aguiding wall 215 betweenv the belt202 and the ldrum BF.

` In the .operation vof thelbottle feedingmeche. anism, the bott-les are first placed in the upper portion 186 of the bottle feeding chute 185, this portion 186 being preferably moved to the position @shown in'V dotted lines in Fig.

5, anda carton of empty bottlesbeing inverted Atherein Vas shown. lThe portion `186 `of the chuteisV then allowed to swing backinto the position in which it is aligned with the' lower portion 185 of thechute, andthebox` offbot#` tles is allowedto slidedown adjacentto the surfacelofthe feeding d-runrFD, at which point the .box or container may be removed. The Vvbottles `now :lie inparallel rows, there being the saine number of bottles in each row as there are `bottle receiving `depressions 142 across the `surface,ofthe drum FD, The vta.-

pered strip 147 aligns the rows of bottles, pushing any bottles whichmay be out of place into contact with the lower face of chute 135. Each row of bottles in turn is picked off by one of the rows of depressions 142 on the surface of the feeding drum FD, the rollers 145 holding the ends of the'bottles from tilting out of the depressions due to the weight of the remaining bottles in the chute 135 bearing against theV necks of the bottles in the depressions. The bottles` are usually packed withl cardboard strips 211', placed between the rows thereof, and these strips are caught between two pairs of extensions 212 and 213 fixed to the ridges 141 on the drum, these extensions being disposed between-each row of depressions 142 as most clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. l. l f

As each row of bottles is carried around over the top of the drum FD. the bottles ,slide down to the leading end of the vdepressions 142 against the abutments 144 as shown in Fig. 5 and are finally picked off of the drum by the fingers 153 on the inner wall of the bottle catching compartment 150, which fingers pass under the edges of the bottles in the grooves 154 shown in Fig. 10.` The cam 161 is designed to permit the bottle catching'compartment 150 to swing' against the drum as each row of bottles approaches this compartment, and the bottles slide into the interior of this compartment and are held therein by the angular relation between the compartment 150 and the bottle delivery compartment 149. At the same time that the bottles are dropped into the compartment 150, the cardboard strip 211 is picked off of thedrum FDby the elongated spring fingers 155 and is allowed ,to dropdown along these spring fingers andaway from the machine at theirlower ends. If it" should occur that one of the cardboard strips 211 passes on under the spring fingers 155, this strip will drop vagainst a shield 214 which is Vsecured to the angle l; bracket 148 beneath the drum FD and which Y extends over the belt 202.

The compartment 150 is now moved-to its vertical position by the cam 161, the gate 156. being simultaneously closed by the cam 162, and the row of bottles being dropped in to the delivery compartment 149 and resting .with their lower ends on thisv gate. As the'inecha- -'nism continues to. operate, thegate 156 is pushed outwardly by the cam `162,` acting through its lever 168 and plunger 169, andthe row of bottles is dropped tothe level ofthe platform 129, theilower end of each-bottle being held between the lip 160 on the shield 159 and the groove 158 fon the plate 157. One of the extensions 182`on-the feed chain 17 9 now engages ,the end bottle of the vrow as clearly shown Vin Fig. 5` and pushes the entire row .along the shield 159 and into the space between the belt 202 and the guide plate 1 183, the bottles being pressed against the belt 202 by the spring fingers 190 and being rolled along toward the filling drum BF by the motion of the belt. As the bottles leave the chain 179 and come into contact with the plate 183 they are guided by means of the spring finger 191 which engages each bottle near the upper end thereof. In passing along the guide plate 183, being rolled thereon by the belt 202, thereis some tendency for the bottles to creep upwardly, and this is prevented by the upper guide strip 197 which yieldingly engages thevupper ends of the bottles and holds them in place. As the bottles pass out ofr contact with the guide plate 183, their necks and side walls respectivelyr are engaged by the spring linger 192 and the spring pressed extension 193, their lower ends being held in proper position by the member 196.

At the end of the feeding platform 129 adjacent the 4filling drum BF, the bottles are pressed against the periphery of this lilling drum and are picked ofll one by one and carried around the drum. The various parts of the feeding mechanism are so synchronized with one another that a bottle is always in contact with the surface of the filling drum, a fresh row of bottles being fed at regular intervals by the chain 17 9 into engagement with the belt 202.l

The bottle filling drum BF is rotated by a shaft 3 which is suitably geared or otherwise connected to a source of power. A gear 288 is fixed to the shaft 3 and engages a gear 289 carried by a stub shaft 290. A sprocket 298 is fixed to the gear 289 and serves to drive a vertical shaft 303 through a chain 300 and a second sprocket 301. The shaft 303 passes through the platform 129 and drives the shaft 139 through the worm 304 and the worm gear 140. The shaft 303 is also fixed to the pulley'205 whereby the belt 202 is driven. A pinion 305 is fixed to the lshaft 303 beneath the platform 129 and a gear 306 carried by a stub shaft 307 engages this pinion and drives the'shaft 173 through the sprockets 308 and 309 and the chain 310.

It should be understood that 'the various elements comprising the driving meansv are arranged to properly synchronize the bottle fillingv and feeding mechanisms so that the feeding drum F D, deliveryV chain 179 and belt 202 cooperate to bring the required number of bottles to the filling drum BF to keep this drum continuously supplied.

VBy reasons of defects and irregularities in the bottles fed into the machine, it sometimes occurs that bottles are broken in being delivered from the feeding drum FD to thechain 179. Vhen this occurs, the broken glass may be quickly removed by releasing the catch 181 and moving the pivotally supported plate 157 away from the shield 159, thus permittingv the broken bottles todrop down free of the machine between these members. Also, if a broken or irregularly formed bottle passes llU Clt

on along the belt 202, it may be reached and removed by swinging the hinged upper guide strip 197 `back from the bottles.

The present invention has been described in connection with a single specific machine, and

it should be clearly understood that the inv and delivering rows of bottles to the space between said belt and said guide plate, and spring pressed means disposed above the space between said belt and said guide plate `for maintaining said bottles in contact with 'said platform as they are moved along said guide plate by said belt.

2. In a bottle feeding mechanism, a platform, an endless belt driven along said platform in a vertical position, a spring pressed guide plate parallel to said belt andspaced therefrom, means for successively arranging and delivering rows of bottles to the space between saidbelt and said guide plate, and an upperguide strip extending above the space between said belt and said guide plate for maintaining said bottles in contact with said platform as they are moved along said belt, said strip being movable to give access to the space between said belt and said plate.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature.

NICOLA F. SAVIANO. 

